A Sliver of Dawn
by fairybloom
Summary: Dawn only wanted to celebrate her graduating from high school, but Fate seems to want more. Violence, graphic situations and sexual content. Eventual Dawn/Jasper. AU
1. Chapter 1

A Sliver of Dawn

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, and I make no money from it as well. Mores the pity on both accounts. Buffy & Company belong to Joss Whedon & Mutant Enemy, all Twilight characters belong to Ms. Meyers. Lucky so & so's.

A/N: Hello to all! Once again, I was working on my other stories and this bunny just popped into my head. I tried to ignore it, but… yeah, here it is. Read and review, let me know if this worth continuing.

A/N2: Timeline- after season 7 for Buffy and around Eclipse to Breaking Dawn of Twilight

Chapter 1

Dawn leaned towards the mirror in front of her, reapplying her lip gloss.

Music thumped loudly from the main cavern as she slipped the tube into her pocket and snatched her cell phone. She fired off a quick text to her sister, letting her know that she was fine and that she'd crash over at Celeste's that night.

She may be turning 19 in four months, but that didn't stop Buffy from always checking up on her. She'd had to lie to go out, knowing her sister would never let her go if the older Summers' had known where their destination was that night.

Buffy thought she was going to dinner and a movie with friends.

Receiving a text that told her to have fun and to be safe, Dawn put the phone away and made her way back to her friends.

She weaved her way through the throngs of people. Some were dancing, some were simply chatting and some were smoking, plus, she could tell from sweet and musky scent of the smoke, that some weren't smoking cigarettes.

Ah, the freedom of an underground rave.

Normally, these types of parties were off limits to the brunette, but Celeste's new boyfriend was friends with the DJ, so here she was, dancing the night away.

They'd had to drive a little over an hour outside of Rome, to the coast. They were about twenty minutes from a sleepy town, in an abandoned factory that butted up to a large network of caves.

Luckily, there were semi-working bathrooms just inside the factory, so Dawn hadn't needed to visit the little tree's outdoor room and end up lost in the wilds of Italy.

Finally she spotted Celeste and rejoined her friend.

The music was extremely loud. The base thrummed in her bones and made her want to dance. She grabbed Celeste's hand and dragged her to the edge of the mass of writhing and gyrating bodies.

A few songs later, and Dawn needed a drink. "Let's go get something, my mouths drier than dirt."

Celeste laughed and they made their way to Sergio, Celeste's new boyfriend, who was hanging out at the DJ's table.

"Hey there you two, having fun?" Sergio asked in his adorably accented English.

"Great, but we need a drink!" Dawn answered for them.

Celeste gave him a smirk, then snatched the tall plastic cup from his hand and took a few gulps, before handing it to Dawn.

She sniffed the cup and it smelled like OJ, but not.

"Don't worry, it's just a Screwdriver. Only vodka," her friend reassured her.

With a shrug and a grin, Dawn took a big swallow as Sergio said wryly, "Yeah, only vodka."

The alcohol made the OJ taste weird as the drink burned down her throat. Grimacing, she took another large gulp, this was supposed to be a celebration right?

It wasn't every day that Dawn graduated from high school.

Granted, Buffy had flown in and taken her to dinner, but since the other Scoobies couldn't make it, it had felt a little lacking. So, Celeste came up with the brilliant idea to go to the rave.

A week after she had walked across the stage and had accepted her diploma, she finally felt like the occasion was being properly celebrated.

Taking one last swallow of the orangey liquid, Dawn handed the cup back to Sergio.

After Celeste pecked him on the lips in thanks, she pulled Dawn back out to the dance floor.

As the girls started to move their bodies to the beat, the DJ leaned over and whispered/yelled to Sergio, "Isn't that the drink you dropped those two pills I gave you in?

Sergio laughed, "Yep."

"Damn dude, you're evil."

"I don't know what you're talking about, man," Sergio said in mock innocence.

"Think they can handle it?"

Sergio shrugged, "Dunno, but I'm sure looking forward to 'helping' my girl cope, if you know what I mean."

"Man, I can't believe you slipped your girl and her friend E."

Sergio merely shrugged and drank the rest of his spiked OJ. There was no trace of the dissolved pills, so he threw the cup away, smirked at his friend and went to dance with his girlfriend.

After a while, Dawn began to feel odd, but figured it was the alcohol hitting her system.

The night air was warm and with all the dancing, she was starting to feel flushed, but there was a weird icy feeling that shivered over her arms and the top of her head.

Ignoring this, she continued to dance.

A few songs later and the drug completely hit her system and the room gave a liquidy swirl before her eyes.

Dawn blinked in surprise.

It felt like warm waves were crashing over her and as they hit, Dawn shivered.

She knew something was wrong, but she felt so good. So, she shrugged and kept dancing.

She could feel the pulse and throb of the crowd around her, the primal beat of the music compelling her to let go and be a part of the energy around her.

The girl was thrusting her hips to the beat as she raised her arms over her head, and Heidi swore she saw a trail of green sparks.

Startled, Heidi watched a little closer.

The girl was at least 5'8'' and had long beautiful brunette hair that came to the small of her back. She was willowy and graceful as she moved her lithe body to the music.

She was wearing tight dark blue jeans tucked into knee high black suede boots that had a slender two inch heel. Her shirt was black, tight and sleeveless, with very low cut neckline exposing a bit of creamy flesh.

Even if she hadn't seen the odd green sparks flutter from the girl's hands, Heidi would have noticed this gorgeous, young, and mouthwatering woman.

Venom filled her mouth, but the blonde vampire swallowed it back, and pulled out her cell.

She was supposed to be on a fishing trip with a couple of her brethren, but knew that her masters would want know about the girl and her odd talent.

She held the slim plastic up to her ear after speed dialing the castle; she knew Aro would want to hear about this first.

The human secretary, Giovanna, answered on the third ring, then put her through to Aro.

While waiting for her liege to come to the phone, Heidi witnessed two more sparkling shows of light.

When the smooth, dark voice of Aro filled her ear, she wasted no time telling him what she had seen. A few seconds later, she smirked and snapped the phone shut content with the praise she had received for finding the unusual human.

She watched the girl for a couple of more minutes, waiting for the right moment to grab her, and when she told her friend she was going to the bathroom, Heidi decided it was her lucky night.

The blonde vampire shadowed her prey and when she passed one of her fellow fishers, she quickly told him that she had orders to take the girl and return to Volterra.

She hid in the shadows outside the bathroom, and when the girl stumbled past her, she gave her a light punch to the head, dropping her easily.

Heidi checked to make sure that she hadn't damaged the human too much. She felt a pulse, so satisfied with herself, she gathered the girl into her arms and blurred away in a dead run.

A Month Later

Castle Summers, Scotland

Buffy stormed her way through the echoing corridors to the library.

No one approached her, they knew better.

She wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone else's problems and if the mini slayers saw her coming, they quickly found somewhere else to be.

The oldest living slayer had been in a terrible fury for the past month. And everyone knew why.

Dawn.

The slayer's sister was still missing, and Buffy was frantic with worry. The more time that passed without them finding Dawn, the more terrified the blonde became.

They hadn't found any prophecies that needed the Key, and there weren't any rumors from the demon grapevine that someone had kidnapped the Slayer's sister.

With no demonic evidence, that left the human monsters, but they hadn't received any ransom demands or found any reports of a body that fit Dawn's description.

The only clue that Buffy had been given was from Dawn's friend Celeste.

The girl had admitted to taking her sister to a rave in the Italian countryside, but had lost her when she had gone to the bathroom and had never come back.

Celeste had told her that she had looked everywhere, but hadn't found her.

Buffy had had to report her sister missing to the police, but the cops hadn't found anything either.

The blonde slayer slammed her way into the library, making those inside jump.

"Anything?" Buffy asked hopefully, but deflated as she saw both Willow and Giles shake their heads.

Willow had done numerous tracking and locator spells, but they never told them where Dawn was.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Buffy collapsed in a chair next to Giles and he put a comforting hand over her clenched fists.

"We'll find her, Buffy. We won't stop until we do."

"Thanks, Giles, I know. I just wish I knew where she was, what she was doing. That she's alive," Buffy said with a sob and buried her face in her hands.

'Where are you Dawnie?'

Volterra, Italy

Blood, warm, alive, and pounding, tempted Dawn terribly.

She knew the Master wanted her to wait before striking, but the scents coming off the trembling group of humans in the throne room were almost too much for Dawn to resist.

Hunger, burning and insistent, raged in her throat, demanding that she quench her thirst.

The last of the humans came into the room and Felix closed the massive wooden doors with a snap, locking it tight, in case one of the walking blood bags decided to make a run for it.

Escape wasn't an issue, but cleanliness was.

The last time one of the cattle bolted, Dawn had given chase and made a mess in the hallway.

Aro had not been pleased to have blood splashed on the artwork that had lined the hallway. Some of the paintings had been hundreds of years old, given to him by a friend long ago.

Dawn hadn't cared who had painted it, or that it had been given by Carlisle Cullen, but she had cared when she'd had to clean up the mess and had gotten lectured.

Apparently, there was a reason why the drain was in the throne room and not the hallway.

No paintings to be ruined when everything was hosed down after a group feeding.

Learning her lesson the first time, Dawn waited for Aro to give the order to begin feeding.

Her raven haired master gave the nod and Dawn grinned wickedly as she pounced on a young man who was looking around at them all in fear.

As the brunette newborn wrapped her arms around the boy's, to keep him still, she bit into his sweet smelling neck as the chorus of screaming began.

The boy in her arms gave a low moan of pain.

Dawn bit just a little harder, eliciting a louder scream. Satisfied that her prey's fear doubled, the brunette began to drain him dry.

Too soon, the body was empty of blood and life, and she dropped him negligently to the floor.

Surveying the room, she saw that not many humans were left and Dawn pouted.

She'd have to wrestle one of the others or have to share.

Hearing a low whimper, she saw a girl a couple of years younger than her cowering behind Marcus's throne.

Stepping daintily among the dead littering the floor, Dawn went to kneel obediently by Lord Marcus, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

"Yes, dear one?" the dark and brooding vampire asked pleasantly.

"My lord, there is a girl hiding by your throne, may I partake of her?"

Marcus glanced at the human then replied with a small smile, "I will share her with you."

"Oh, thank you!" Dawn said smiling, and went with the ancient vampire to share their meal.

Marcus bit into the girl's neck, then held her arm out for Dawn.

Not hesitating for a second, she took the offered wrist and bit down harshly, relishing the blood, but also the pain and fear that rolled off the girl.

Early on, Dawn realized that she could feed on some of the emotions that her prey felt, which had impressed her masters.

Unfortunately, she couldn't project the emotions, she could only absorb them.

Burning jealousy washed over Dawn, making her look up from her feeding. Her crimson eyes locked with the malevolent gaze of Jane, who glared at her from across the room.

None of the others were ever offered to share prey with their masters, only Dawn.

Aro, Marcus, and surprisingly, even Caius, all had taken a liking to their newest addition.

She mystified Aro, since he could not enter her mind.

Personally, Dawn thought her Keyness is what kept the raven haired vampire from her thoughts, but that wasn't something she was willing to share.

With anyone.

After her change, Dawn had been presented to the three rulers of vampire kind, and the court had been stunned to see the first smile they had seen since his wife had perished, stretch across Marcus's face.

Apparently, Dawn looked like a younger version of his now long dead wife. The ancient had confessed this to her two weeks into her new life as a vampire.

For making Marcus smile for the first time in years, she had won over Caius. He had also told her later on, that for bringing life to his brother, she only needed ask, and it would be hers.

Dawn thought it might have to do with the spell the monks had used to get Buffy to take her in, in the first place.

A love me, help me, protect me urge that would ultimately protect the Key.

But whatever the real reason was, she enjoyed the attention from her masters immensely.

Aro had given her a large suit of rooms in the Volturi Castle and had let her furnish it however she pleased.

But, as usual, not everyone liked all the attention the newborn was receiving.

Specifically Jane.

The dirty blonde vampire absolutely loathed her.

Alec, Jane's brother, had pulled her aside the one day and told her to watch her back. When asked why, he told her that his sister used to be Aro's favorite, but Dawn had replaced her.

Dawn had shrugged and told him that his sister had to deal with it or talk to her.

She wasn't afraid of the mousy haired vampire in the least.

And Jane knew it.

The third week of her existence as a vampire Jane had attacked her, during which, the large coven discovered that Dawn was also immune to Jane's powers.

Intrigued, Aro had put Dawn through a number of tests, which were mainly the others trying their powers on the brunette and seeing if they had any effect on her.

Alec's hadn't touched her, neither could Demetri track her mind.

Chelsea's ability to change relationship ties had passed right over her.

No one could touch her.

And it drove Jane insane with jealousy.

That fact that Dawn knew she drove the other girl crazy only served to enrage Jane even more.

Dawn smirked at Jane, then went back to her meal.

The girl under her mouth groaned in agony as she sunk her teeth into her wrist again, making Dawn close her eyes in pleasure at the double feeding.

When the girl was dead, Marcus casually tossed her body with the other corpses.

"Thank you, Lord Marcus," Dawn murmured appreciatively.

"Always, dear one," he replied with a smile. "Why don't you go get cleaned up before Aro's lessons, you know how he is."

And she did too. Aro was a stickler for cleanliness.

"It's my turn for disposal duty, so I'll change after," she replied.

"Don't worry, dear one, I'll put someone else on it. You go take care of yourself."

Grateful, Dawn nodded, kissed his hand and bobbed a curtsey to the other lords, then made her way to her room to change for lessons.

Every day, Aro would work with her, trying to draw her powers out and train them.

She had confessed to learning magic as a human, so the raven haired vampire was convinced she had lurking powers other than her ability to feed on emotions.

Heidi fell into step with her, and Dawn flashed her a bright smile.

"So, I see you enjoyed that young fellow, huh?" the blonde asked.

"I did," Dawn answered.

"Good. I picked him with you in mind," the other girl confessed.

"Oh? Why?"

"Thought you'd like his blood, it had an extra sweet smell, and I know you were saying how you missed candy…"

"Oh, Heidi! Thank you!" she replied gratefully.

"Yes, how nice," a voice behind them sneered.

"What do you want Jane?" Dawn asked without turning to look at the petulant girl.

"You dead would be nice," she replied snottily.

Dawn looked at Heidi and rolled her eyes. Heidi had to cover her mouth to stifle her snicker, which of course Jane heard.

The tall blonde's eyes widened and then she shrieked in pain.

Dawn finally turned to look at Jane, her expression one of impatience. "Honestly, you would think you aren't even a quarter of your age, the way you behave Jane."

"Oh, really?" the dirty blonde growled at her, then upped the pain Heidi was feeling, causing her to scream and fall to the floor.

Dawn merely raised her eyebrow and laid her hand on Heidi's head. Pain, glorious pain began to seep into her as she ate the other girl's agony.

Feeling Heidi start to relax as the pain left her, Dawn smirked at the dirty blonde.

Huffing in annoyance, Jane spun on her heel and stalked off.

"Thanks," Heidi murmured as she got to her feet, avoiding her gaze, then hurried off in the opposite direction Jane had gone.

Shaking her head in amusement, Dawn went her room and got ready for her lessons.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

10 Months Later

Forks, Washington

The last time Dawn had stood in the middle of this clearing, snow had dusted the ground at her feet.

She remembered how she had stood in formation with her brethren, in the row right behind the cluster of Aro, Marcus, Caius and their personal guards, not five months ago.

It had been the first time since moving to Rome when she was still human, that Dawn had been on American soil.

God, how she'd missed being stateside!

Across the field had stood the Cullen coven and their associates. A group of about thirty or so.

Dawn still couldn't believe that there were vegetarian vampires.

Sure, she knew Angel and Spike ate animal blood, but they were a different breed of vampire.

With her bloodlust still so strong, the brunette still couldn't understand how these vampires could pass on the human temptation and stick to animal blood.

Since she'd heard of their diet, Dawn had been deeply curious. She'd thought she would be damned to feed off humans for the rest of her life.

She peered out her pitch black hood and studied the Cullen's.

There had been more than just their coven standing with them, there had been ten or so gigantic wolves flanking the vampires her coven had come to discipline.

At the time she hadn't thought that that would be enough to keep Aro and the others from their necks.

Alec could take out their ability to function in a heartbeat or two, so she knew they wouldn't pose a challenge.

Pity.

The head of the criminal coven, a tall blonde she was told was Carlisle, had stepped back from talking to Aro, but the bronze haired male had stayed, and then called one of the females forward.

She carried a child on her back, and Dawn had leaned forward a little to get a better look at the little girl. She had pretty bronze curls and looked to be about eight or nine in age.

Dawn had heard the little girl's slow heartbeat from where she stood, so she couldn't understand why Caius had given the coven such a hassle.

Obviously, the girl wasn't a full vampire!

Dawn had been warned of the taboo of turning children, especially the really young.

She shuddered at the thought of being stuck as an infant vampire; she would never make a child suffer like that.

Better to be killed completely than made to live the rest of your life as a toddler.

To Dawn, the little girl in the other woman's arms had been fascinating. To think, a human-vampire half breed!

After an unusual meeting, the couple moved back with their daughter to their clan, and Aro had begun questioning the other covens. And Dawn had seen that though everyone rightly feared their king, there were many that wished to be freed from under their yolk.

Dawn could have felt the suppressed hostility from a mile away.

When a tall dark haired male, Garrett, gave an impassioned speech about freedom and liberty, she had just about cheered. That good old American spirit, you know?

But Aro just dismissed the man's words as foolish and irreverent.

After his questions, Aro convened with his fellow rulers to decide the fate of the Cullen's. Minus one little 'bump in the road'.

Irina.

When Caius had pulled out his incinder, Dawn had nearly swallowed her tongue.

She had only seen him use the device one other time, and it hadn't been pretty then either.

As everyone in the field watched Irina burn to ashes, pure unadulterated rage flowed from the opposing side.

Something Dawn could understand completely.

To her, there had been no reason the blonde ancient had set the woman alight. She had cooperated to the fullest extent, and if she had been mistaken, that was no reason to destroy her.

As the three ancients convened, most of the guard tensed as Jane moved forward slightly and set her burning gaze on the head of the Cullen coven.

But nothing had happened.

The shriek of frustration Jane had emitted drew Aro's gaze, and at his nod, Alec took his turn.

Standard operation procedure.

It made Dawn sick.

The sickeningly sweet cloud of vampire Novocain oozed forward, completely immune to whoever had opened the crater in the ground separating the factions. But it had stopped short a couple of feet from it's targets.

Alec's power had then moved to the sides, then above, trying to find a way into the giant bubble that shielded the accused.

Aro may have exclaimed in wonder at the anomaly, but Dawn could feel his anger at being thwarted. He praised the female holding the little girl.

Apparently, it was her who had control of the shield.

Remembering the horror she had felt at the negligent and casual display of the destruction of Irina, Dawn couldn't help feeling relieved that the opposing vampires had protection against the terror twins.

Even amongst the guard, only Dawn could claim that right.

She had had to school her features to neutral, because Aro had sent her a look laced with suspicion. He knew of only one other possibility of who could be protecting his prey.

Dawn.

But that was ridiculous, she couldn't project her immunity. Dawn shivered at the cunning that flashed in her master's eyes.

Aro's attention had been diverted from her by the bronze haired male, Edward, when he asked what would happen if he could prove their innocence further.

As Aro contemplated his request, two men and a woman had burst through the forest line and had blurred to the Cullen's.

Dawn couldn't help her shiver of revulsion as Aro whispered the woman's name in reverence.

Alice.

Suddenly, Dawn was jerked from her memories by a distant howl that echoed from the forest to her left.

Not wanting to have an encounter of the furry kind, she took one more glance at the place that had started the beginning of the end for her, and then she took off in a blur to the coast.

A few minutes later and Dawn had to pick up the pace.

The howling had reached a crescendo as the wolves from her memory picked up her scent in the clearing, and headed after her.

She could hear the thud of their paws against the moist ground, and she could count five different heartbeats.

The thundering of the powerful organs almost had Dawn ready to attack to feed, but she pushed that urge to the back of her mind, grateful that she could do so now.

Almost a year had passed since her introduction to the vampires that she had become. A year of thoughtless carnage, sick and insidious thirst.

Dawn forced those thoughts to the side as she saw the cliff's edge approaching through the trees.

Not hesitating for a second, she reached the edge and dove off head first into the Pacific. As the water closed around her and she began heading south, the howling was no more than a memory.

Dawn loved that she didn't need to breathe as she swam serenely through the ocean, schools of fish darting out of her way.

She had two more stops to make before she could let herself get lost in the world.

Sunnydale and L.A.

If she were honest with herself, Dawn could have admitted her desire to see her sister, but the brunette knew that wasn't possible. A castle full of warm blooded girls was not a temptation Dawn thought she could resist.

Especially since the majority in the Castle Summers' were slayers.

Dawn had learned from Marcus that there was no sweeter blood than that of a slayer's. No other person's blood, unless it was her singer's, equaled the red bliss that flowed in a slayer's veins.

And she knew Marcus wouldn't lie about this either.

Over the months, the ancient and Dawn had grown extremely close. The brunette had come to trust the other vampire above any other in Volterra.

She had confessed to her former life as a human, albeit leaving out the Key, and Marcus had confessed in return, that he was able to hide parts of his thoughts from Aro.

Shocked was a good way to describe how she felt at that revelation.

Touched that Marcus would put so much trust in her, Dawn then spent most of her time with the ancient.

Aro had long ago given up on trying to find more power in her, when after months of lessons she could only still absorb emotions. So Marcus had taken up her 'lessons'.

When Dawn could no longer stomach the needless slaughter any longer, it was Marcus that helped her convince Caius, and then Aro to let her go her own way.

Disappointed that her craving for blood had started to wane along with her newborn year, Aro had lost interest with the novelty of her.

This only helped Dawn see the raven haired vampire for what he truly was.

Disillusioned would be an excellent way to describe how she felt, and Dawn left the Volturi as soon as she could.

The night she had left, she had tried to get Marcus to come with her, but the ancient was bound.

Aro would never let him leave.

Heartbroken at having to give up another father figure, Dawn made him the ridiculous promise that she would come back for the ancient. Marcus had smiled at her childishness and told her to go live her life.

So here she was, stateside again and free to go wherever she wanted, within reason of course.

Before her departure, Marcus had met her at the side entrance to the Volturi castle, where she would take her leave and pressed into her hand a delicate band of silver, with his personal signet etched into it.

With a tremulous smile, she traced the ring that sat on her index finger, remembering the gentle kiss of goodbye he had graced her forehead with.

She spent a couple of hours swimming in the ocean, making her way down the coast towards Sunnydale. Another half an hour across land and Dawn stood at the edge of the crater that had been her home growing up.

This was the closest that she would allow herself to be to the Scoobies, not willing to put her family in danger. She would never subject them to herself or her bloodlust.

True, the beast that dwelled in her soul and her craving for blood was easier to control now that her newborn phase was coming to an end, but better safe than sorry.

Dawn stared out over the giant sinkhole that had been her home, pulling on her memories of what used to have been. It was harder done then said, her human memories were murky and a little distorted, especially the ones that had been made by the monks. The false memories of her life before her actual existence were almost completely inaccessible.

She may not be able to remember her childhood, but she knew enough to mourn their loss.

Dawn whispered her goodbyes to her families memories, then started north to L.A.

She wanted to say one last goodbye.

Spike.

Halfway into her junior year, Buffy had come to Rome to tell her that her favorite bleached blonde was indeed back from the dead. Though he hadn't come to see her, Dawn still loved the oaf as a brother.

So she owed it to him to say goodbye in person.

Well, not in person really. Badness would happen if he actually saw her, so she had a simple plan to stand outside the Wolfram & Hart building and whisper her farewell, then get gone.

Dawn paused a mile or so outside the cities limits, trying to gather her courage. To be surrounded by so many humans all at once was going to be a terrible test of her resolve.

Though she knew of the Cullen's and their diet of animal blood, Dawn found that it was next to impossible to pass on humans. She was trying though.

The animal blood just wasn't the same. So Dawn made herself a compromise. If she had to eat a human, it would be the derelicts of society. The murderers, the rapists, etc.

Surely one evil didn't cancel out the other, but at least Dawn felt that she was protecting the future victims of her prey.

She took a couple of deep breaths, and then entered the city.

The smell of so many humans packed on top of each other was a terrible temptation to the brunette, but she ignored it as best she could.

About three blocks from the law office Angel and his crew ran, she almost lost her nerve. Doubts plagued her thoughts continuously.

She told her brain to shut it and closed the distance between herself and the twenty plus story building.

She stood across the street and stared up at the building made off concrete, steel, and glass. At the very top, she could see through the window and noticed Angel.

He was staring out over the city, a mug in one hand and a sheaf of papers in the other. He turned away from the glass and she lost sight of him.

There was no sign of Spike though.

None of the lighted windows against the backdrop of the night time sky showed the British demonic vampire.

Dawn whispered, "Goodbye, Spike. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, ducks," came the snarky reply from the alley behind her.

Dawn gasped and spun to see Spike casually strolling towards her. His scent of leather and cigarettes was comforting to her. "Spike?"

"Niblet. Care to tell me where've you been all this time?" he asked as he stopped a little ways away.

She didn't respond as he got a good look at her, his eyes widening to comic proportions. She giggled, she couldn't help it, he looked so funny.

"Uh, Niblet?"

"'Yes, Spike?"

"What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," she said quietly.

"I can imagine. Care to tell me?"

"Sure. Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

He nodded slowly and said, "Sure, follow me."

They started walking down the alley and Dawn had to suppress her laughter; Spike kept looking at her every couple of steps, with the funniest look.

Ten minutes later, Dawn recognized where they were going and stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong, luv?" Spike asked as he turned to her.

"Are there… are there slayers stationed at the Hyperion still?"

"Yea, there is. That gonna be a problem?"

"Yeah. I can't go in there," she said sadly and started to back away.

"Why not? Don't you want to.."

"I can't Spike! I can't!"

He went to grab her arm, but she evaded him. He gave her a hurt look and growled, "Well, why the bloody hell not?"

Dawn sighed and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Volturi?"

He stopped and gave her anther wide eyed look. "Yeah, pet, I have."

"Well, I've been with them for the past year."

"Oh, Niblet," he sighed in remorse.

She could tell that he really did understand. "I was told, that above all else, the blood of a slayer is the most irresistible. For my kind, anyway."

"Not just your kind, luv. C'mon, pet, I've somewhere we can go."

"No slayers?"

"No slayers," he replied with a grin.

He ended up taking her to a small apartment a few blocks from thw Wolfram & Hart. It was sparsely furnished, but it did have a TV and DVD player set up in front of a cushy loveseat.

Dawn followed him into the small kitchen and watched as he grabbed two bags of blood from the fridge. After emptying them into two mugs, he popped them into the microwave set above the stove.

As he handed her the warmed mug, she could tell from the scent of the blood, that it was human. She shot him a questioning look before taking a sip.

Spike chuckled at the look of appreciation she sent him before responding to her unasked question. "Perks of W&H."

She nodded in understanding and savored the thick liquid coating her tongue and throat. She hadn't fed since leaving Volterra, and she welcomed the ease of the constant burn her hunger always induced.

They finished their mugs and he gestured they take a seat. Once they had, Spike pulled a beat up looking pack from his pocket and shook a cigarette out. After a second, he offered her the pack.

Smiling she took the thin white tube of tobacco from him and after lighting it off his zippo, enjoyed the sweet smoke that filled her dead lungs.

When she had been alive, Dawn would never have considered smoking, but now that she was among the undead, she didn't see the harm. In fact, she knew the habit would make her seem more human in the eyes of the public, so that was a plus.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Dawn started to tell him what had happened to her.

The rave, the spiked drink, (Heidi insistently teased her for taking ecstasy unknowingly), her kidnapping and subsequent change. She held nothing back. Not the favoritism, the blood, Marcus, or the training.

He listened to everything she had to say, not judging her even once. Except for the occasional question, he kept silent as she told her tale.

When she had finished, he gently took her in his arms and held her to him. Dawn laid her head against his cold chest and let herself just be for a moment.

"What are your plans now?" he asked after a few minutes. Her shrug moved them both a little.

Her voice was quiet as she said, "I'm not sure. I figured I'd explore the world a bit, you know?"

"You want a spot of company on that trip, luv?" he asked hopefully.

She pulled back from their hug and gave him a soft smile before answering. "Honestly, I would, but I think I should try to be by myself for a little while, you know? Get a hold of me."

Spike nodded in understanding, but warned her, "Alright, I won't try to stop you, Niblet. But I do want you to keep in contact with me."

Dawn agreed, but hesitated before asking her next question. "Are…are you going to tell Angel? Or B-b-buffy?"

He looked at her for a few uncomfortable minutes before finally shaking his head. "I won't tell the poof or the Slayer about you, luv. No need to fret. Big sis won't be getting anything from me, but you might want to think of a way to let her know that your alright."

"How do I do that, Spike?" she asked quietly. "I don't know if it would be kinder to let her think I was dead or not. You know she wouldn't take a letter saying hi, please leave me be, oh and I love you."

Spike chuckled at her, his eyes sparkling with the image of Buffy's outrage at getting such a letter after a year of looking for her little sister. "No, I don't suppose that would go over too well."

Dawn sighed and bit her lip in thought.

'She looks just like Buffy when she does that," he thought to himself before saying out loud after a quick glance out the ground level window, "Well, don't worry about that for now, luv. The sun's going to be up in a couple of minutes, so why don't you sleep on it for now, and we'll talk some more later, alright? If you get hungry, there's plenty in the fridge, so help yourself."

Dawn nodded and gave him another tight hug. He kissed her forehead, then disappeared into his room to sleep the day away.

Sometimes, Dawn missed being able to sleep, especially when her thoughts wouldn't shut up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm glad someone's been enjoying my ramblings. : )

Forks, Washington

JPOV

"Jasper, wait please!"

"Why, Alice?" Jasper growled as he spun to face his now ex-wife.

"Please, I don't want you to hate me for this," the pixie-like vampire pleaded as she wrung her hands, venom tears making her eyes glimmer in the setting suns light.

Despite his inner turmoil, the day had been one of the unusual beautifully clear and bright. Ironic that. His world was being destroyed and the gloom that normally pervaded was being burned away in the early summer heat.

"Alice, I can't tell you that I don't hate you at this moment, but I can tell you that I wish you no harm. If this is where your heart lies, then who am I to stop you," he finished bitterly.

"Jazz…"

"No Alice. I'm going," he said in finality.

Her face was pinched in pain, but he couldn't push past his own heartbreak to reassure her any further. Jasper turned back to his bike and flung his leg over the black leather seat.

Over the years, the Cullen's had purchased many types of vehicles, all of which had been offered for his use. But he had always favored and loved his Harley Softail Heritage Classic.

It was one of the only possessions that had been his and his alone.

His clothes, which of course had been tailored and restricted by Alice since they'd been together, his books and few other things all remained in the Cullen house. The only thing he took with him was his bike and the clothes on his back.

Everything else was hers.

Jasper didn't look back as he kick started the grumbling beast and drove away from the life and family he had belonged to for the past fifty some odd years.

As he rode the back roads that would take him out of Forks, he couldn't help but think over the past couple of heart wrenching days.

Alice had come to him and had asked to have a 'talk' in private. She had been avoiding him for a while at that point, and he had been waiting patiently for her to tell him what was wrong.

Little did he think that the problem would be what it was.

Alice had fallen in love with Nahuel, the human/vampire hybrid that they had convinced to help save Renesmee from the Volturi.

According to Alice, and unfortunately feeling the bond for himself and was forced to agree, the unlikely pair were true mates. Alice had tried to fight the attraction, but the pain of being kept from her mate had finally broken her down.

Jasper was incredibly angry, but he knew he couldn't hurt the woman who had pulled his sorry butt from the edge of madness, oh so many years ago.

After leaving his abusive and cruel sire, he had wandered for years looking for his place in the world. And that fateful day he had walked into the diner and met her, he had felt like he had found a piece of home.

Now he was set adrift again.

Jasper let his thoughts drift and concentrated on the open road, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and them, that he could.

Both mentally and physically.

A couple of hours later the sun had completely set and Jasper pulled into a gas station to fill up his tank. It didn't take long to pump the gas and then pay, so he was back on the road in under ten minutes.

With the sun finally put to bed and no longer an issue, he could take the main roads, and he knew, that at the rate he was going, he would reach Montana in a couple of days. Hopefully Peter and Charlotte would be home and wouldn't mind the company.

It had been too long since he had visited, so wrapped up with the family to really get away.

But now it seemed, he had all the time in the world.

DPOV

Dawn stayed at Spike's for a few days and when she decided it was time to move on, he had given her a care package to take with her. Despite her protests, he had insisted.

Spike had told her that he had made arrangements with W&H on her behalf, anonymously of course. They didn't want Angel to find out about her and spill the beans, so to speak.

He assured her that everything was setup under his accounts and that no one would be able to track her.

The package had consisted of a phone and a wallet.

The phone, he told her, would be for her to keep in touch, and the wallet… Well the wallet had startled her.

Inside was a fake ID that would pass her off as legally 21, with the name Tara Lightly. She had no idea when he had gotten her picture for it though, and he wouldn't say.

Also inside the folded leather was a couple of hundred dollars cash, as well as a ATM card that had her 'name' on it.

Now, Dawn knew that when she was human, had she been given a credit/debit card with no limit, she would have danced with glee at the possibilities, but now it seemed like too much.

Again, she had protested, but Spike wouldn't hear of it. "For my peace of mind, Niblet," he had said so seriously that she couldn't deny him.

He had offered to get her a car, but she put her foot down, saying that she enjoyed the freedom of running, plus it would put her too in touch with humans if she had to constantly get gas or upkeep the vehicle, and she just wasn't ready for that. Yet.

Dawn had every intention on desensitizing herself to the allure of human blood, she wanted to be able to see her sister without wanting to kill her.

So, she'd have to slowly keep exposing herself to the temptation.

Spike had recommended she go to a big city with a large population. She had laughed and asked if he was trying to get her to go nuts with bloodlust. He had smirked and responded, "More people, less notice if the bodies start hitting the ground."

She had rolled her eyes at him, but she did have to admit, he had a point.

If she started picking off people in a small town, their absence would be more noticeable. A city with a high population and crime rate however, she wouldn't cause a blip.

Plus, high crime rate meant she had more options to feed from. More criminals and such.

So Dawn set out to explore and make her wandering, winding way towards Vegas. Besides L,A, and possibly New York or Chicago, Las Vegas had the highest crime rate.

There had been one last thing in the wallet, and Dawn had thanked and cursed him for it.

He had given her a list of all the locations that had slayers.

She thought back to her reaction and gave a chuckle.

"Spike! You shouldn't have given me this!" she had yelled, close to panicking.

"I didn't give it as a menu, pet," he had replied calmly. "It's so you can avoid them, not hunt them."

"Oh," she had replied in consternation. "Uh, then, thanks. I think."

That had been a month ago, and Dawn thought it was time t finally head to Vegas.

She had wandered through California and into Texas. Dallas had seemed nice, but if she were honest with herself, she was getting bored.

So, Las Vegas it was.

She'd never been, and was curious about all the hub bub. She knew there wasn't much besides gambling, drinking and sex to be had, but she was still curious.

Spike had taught her how to play poker at fifteen, so she could always hit the casino's. As for drinking, well much to her surprise, she had found that her new vampiric constitution was able to process alcohol.

The purer the better.

She couldn't order a pina colada, but she could drink the harder liquors.

Marcus and the others hadn't told her that they were able to drink, no, she found out with Spike. The bleached wonder had come home one night with two bottles of Jack Daniels and they had gotten a bit, tipsy.

It had been fun, but Dawn wasn't sure if she should be around humans while trashed.

As for the third option of what to do in Las Vegas, well, let's just say Dawn wasn't looking for a hump buddy anytime soon.

She didn't want to pull a praying mantis on some poor schmuck, now did she? That thought caused a perverse thrill and Dawn was disgusted with herself. What kind of demon was she anyway?

Pushing those thoughts from her mind harshly, the brunette concentrated on running. She'd be in Nevada within the hour and her first order of business was to hunt.

She noticed her thoughts and emotions started getting darker and more menacing the more she went between feedings, and it had been almost a week since her last. If Spike were with her, she was sure he'd be scolding her.

The desert air was clear and she could smell the hardy little creatures that survived the brutal heat of the day as they settled down for the night or began to scavenge.

A night blooming cactus sweetened the air, and she could hear the distant howl of a coyote a mile or so away.

The night time sky stretched clear and beautiful overhead. Millions of stars studded the velvet black heavens, their multi-colored brilliance providing the only light on this moonless night.

She could see the city in the distance, it's lights glimmered in the dark, competing with the stars. The smell of humans hit her stronger and stronger the closer she approached.

Ten minutes later and Dawn finally entered Vegas. She didn't waste any time and began to stealthily climb a building to get a better view into the city.

There were so many! People on top of people, they were everywhere it seemed. Dawn had definitely picked the right place to hide her habits.

Sirens, both police and ambulance, screamed out at multiply points across the city, signaling that there was plenty of action happening that her presence wouldn't even cause a ripple.

A strangled scream ripped through the air a few blocks away, and Dawn went to investigate. After leaping down from her perch, she wound he way through the back alleys and soon found the source of the noise.

As she took in the scene in front of her, a burning rage filled her chest. The screaming had quieted down to whimpers and moans of pain, but she knew the cretain wasn't finished.

A young girl, her smeared make-up and dress indicated she was a prostitute, but the knife at her throat showed that this wasn't one her john's.

The man, and she used that term loosely, had her bent backward over some empty crates, his pants around his knees as he grunted and thrust.

Sickened by the display, Dawn blurred to his side and gripped him by the back of his neck, her icy fingers digging in painfully.

The man gave a little scream of his own as she yanked him from his prize and blurred a block away. She pulled him into the shadows and wasted no time sinking her teeth into his sour smelling skin.

She could tell that he was a drinker, the smell of alcohol reeked from his dirty clothes.

No matter though.

The blood hit her tongue and Dawn sucked it down greedily, enjoying the warmth that spread through her. And as she drained the last few drops of his blood, she felt calmer and more levelheaded.

Finished feeding, she looked at the corpse for a moment, contemplating if she should take him into the desert or if she should slash his throat like a mugging gone bad.

She didn't have to worry about the rape victim, she had heard the girl run off a minute ago, so she didn't have to deal with that.

Dawn grinned and said to the dead man, "Well, it looks like your gonna go for a little stroll with the coyotes, huh?"

It only took her a few minutes to run the body back out to the desert and after leaving him for the scavengers to pick apart, she headed back into the city.

Dawn felt good for helping the girl with her attacker and for getting rid of the scumbag, so she decided to treat herself.

Spike had told her to spoil herself a bit, hadn't he? Grinning to herself, Dawn made her way to one of the casino/hotels on the strip.

Since she had just fed, the smell and presence of humans so close didn't bother her as much as it usually did. Plus, she knew she could leave if it became too much to handle.

Picking a hotel at random, Dawn walked calmly and confidently up to the front desk. The clerk looked up from his monitor and she had to hide a grin at his double take.

There was a conference taking place all week, so most of the regular rooms were already taken. All that were left were either suites or the honeymoon rooms.

Unfazed, she asked for a suite and after paying for the week and collecting her key card, she asked if there were any in house boutiques. He gave her directions and she went purchase a couple of changes of clothes.

When that was finished, she headed up to her room to get a shower and to get changed.

The suite was pretty, decorated in creams and gold, with accents of blue. There was a sitting room with a television and a couple of couches, and two doors leading off to the sides. The first door was a bedroom with its own bath, the second was the same.

Rolling her eyes at the extravagance, Dawn took the first room and got into the shower. The bathroom was lavishly appointed, offering an assortment of soaps and shampoos.

After availing herself of everything, she took her time getting dressed before heading back down to the casino.

She had her hair pulled back and pinned, letting the heavy honey brown mass cascade in artful waves and curls down her back, a few pieces left out to frame her face.

Her outfit was a cunning two piece that flowed and seemed like a solid dress. It was a shimmering scarlet that was a shade or two darker than her eyes.

When she had bought the outfit, the sales clerk had commented on her unusual contacts, making Dawn grin. She had shrugged and thanked the woman, offering to give her the number of the doctor who had given her the prescription. The woman had blushed and declined, much to Dawn's hidden relief.

She'd much prefer everyone think her eccentric then monstrous, so the contact ruse was a definite plus.

Dawn changed a couple of hundred into chips, then wandered over to the poker tables. She took a seat and was dealt in, the other players either eyeing her with lust or contempt.

Apparently, being a woman meant she couldn't think, she snarked to herself derisively and glared at the man across the table from her. He sighed and Dawn made it her mission to house him.

A waitress came over to ask if she wanted a drink, and she ordered a three finger tumbler of Jack straight up. The waitress's eyes widened, but she nodded and went to fill her order.

A half hour later, the prick across from her was leaving in a snit and she couldn't help her laughter. She had won every hand but one, and her meager pile of chips had grown exponentially.

Satisfied that she had taken the man down a peg or two, she finished her drink and left the table.

Over the next few hours, she played blackjack, roulette and had spent some time on the slot machines. By the time the sun was getting ready to rise, she ended her night and admired how much her pile of chips had grown.

She cashed in and went back to her room to call Spike. She knew he'd be proud, and he was. They talked for a while, then she let him go so he could get some sleep.

Dawn watched the sun rise higher into the clear vault of blue sky and shuddered at the thought of getting stuck outside where people could have seen her. Her skin would light up like disco ball.

She sighed at being stuck in her room all day and changed into her comfy jeans and a t-shirt before plopping on the couch and turning on the TV.

Since she had gambled already, Dawn decided to go out clubbing once the night had returned.

JPOV

Jasper had been in Vegas for two days, and he had yet to leave his room. He knew Peter and Charlotte were worried for him, so he'd try to make an effort tonight.

He also knew the only reason they were even in Vegas was to try and cheer him up. He'd been moping for the last month, and even he was starting to get tired of it.

Once the sun had been set for an hour or so, Jasper got dressed in a simple black slacks and a black button-up shirt, with the first few buttons undone, exposing his throat and collarbone.

He met up with Peter and Char and they all headed over to a club a few blocks from the hotel.

As they entered the base throbbing building, he could smell the icy scent of another vampire. He tensed for a moment, but forced himself to relax as Peter sent him a reassuring look.

It was still a little early for it to be too packed, but there was still a decent crowd. They made their way to a table towards the back and ordered a round when a skimpy clad waitress came by.

Jasper kept an eye out for the mystery vamp as he scanned the mass of humanity. The scent was strongest in the crowd of dancing mortals, but he had yet to see him or her.

"Any minute now," Peter mumbled to himself.

"What?" Jasper asked, and then sighed as the other man shook his head, refusing to answer.

Sometimes Peter's 'gift' could be quite annoying. His former Captain at arms had the ability to just know things sometimes. It wasn't like Alice's visions of the future, he just 'knew' things.

Intuition, precognition, whatever it was, it definitely came in handy. But it could also confuse the shit out of him, so Jasper didn't push. He'd find out what Peter meant eventually.

When he turned back to the dance floor, all he could do was sit there stunned. He had finally seen the mystery immortal, and had to work at not drooling on himself.

She, for it was a she, was gorgeous.

Her golden mahogany hair fell down to her tiny waist in wild waves. She was tall, despite her heels, and slender, with just the right amount of curves.

She was wearing a black dress that left very little to the imagination, seeing how it was open all the way down to her naval. The dress's skirt just barely covered her pert ass and her legs seemed to go on forever.

Her flesh shown like fresh snow in the throbbing lights of the club.

Her mouth was a luscious pout and her eyes…

A shiver of desire raced down his spine as he saw the scarlet of her eyes.

Peter and Char also drank human blood, but they would only kill those that deserved it and he couldn't help but wonder about her.

The whole time he watched her dance, Jasper hadn't seen her with anyone, human or otherwise, so he wasn't sure if she was trolling.

A moment later he watched as a human male walked over to her and tried to get her to dance with him, but she declined. If she had been looking for a meal she would probably have said yes, but she ignored the man and kept dancing.

Jasper watched for a couple of minutes and was about to get up to ask her to dance, when a scream licked the air.

DPOV

Dawn could smell vampires in the club as she danced, but ignored them in favor of the heat poring off her fellow dancers.

The burn of her hunger was manageable, but she'd have to find a 'snack' before heading back to her hotel.

She could feel eyes on her a couple of minutes after she smelled the other vampires and assumed they had spotted her. She casually looked around the club and saw three of them sitting at a table toward the back.

Two males and a female. All three were blonde, but her attention was captured by the one with golden waves hanging down to his chin.

He had a strong jaw, and reminded her of a hunting cat as he stared at her. When she met his tawny eyes, she felt a jolt of recognition.

He had been with the Cullen's!

He looked like he was about to come over when she heard a scream from out behind the club.

None of the humans could hear the high pitched scream of pain over the thundering music, but her preternatural senses picked it up without a problem.

Dawn quickly abandoned the dance floor and hurried as fast as she could get away with out the door. She was around the corner from human eyes and blurred to the back of the large building as the smell of fresh spilled blood hit the air.

The burn in her throat tripled, but she was able to push it off.

Especially when she saw what had caused the commotion.

The girl on the ground was already dead, her throat had been slashed from ear to ear. There was a man rummaging in her purse that was flung a little ways away from the girl, like she had tried to get away by giving up her possessions.

Clearly the man didn't just want her money as he stuffed the stolen bills in his pocket and went back to the body at his feet.

His hand hovered over the dead woman's breast, and Dawn didn't give him the chance to actually touch her.

Dawn gripped him by the neck and turned him to face her, her anger vibrated in her chest, up her throat, and growled menacingly between her teeth.

The man's own anger turned to terror as he met her blazing red eyes. Dawn snapped her sharp teeth an inch from his face and his fear increased ten fold.

She gave him an evil smirk as she smelled ammonia and glanced down to see that he had pissed himself. Quick as a snake, she darted in and fiercely bit into his neck.

As she fed, Dawn could feel the three other vampires from the club come into the back alley, but she ignored them for the moment to finish her meal.

When the man was dead, she dropped him to the ground and went to kneel next to his victim. She heaved a deep sigh of remorse and said as she reached to close the woman's blankly staring eyes, "I'm so sorry."


End file.
